The present invention relates to a joint arrangement for a gear shift mechanism for a motor vehicle, comprising a coupling element cooperating with a gear shift lever, a mounting element joinable to a gear lever carrier and a damping element arranged between the coupling element and the mounting element.
The joint arrangement in a motor vehicle gear shift mechanism transmits movements of the shift lever to the vehicle gearbox when different gear speeds are to be selected. Between the joint arrangement 1 and the gearbox, rods or wires can transmit the movements of the gear shift lever.
In some types of vehicles, in particular trucks, the joint arrangement is mounted in a gear lever carrier, which is mounted directly on the vehicle engine. Since the engine vibrates, these vibrations are transmitted to the gear shift lever via the gear shift lever via the gear lever carrier and the joint arrangement. The driver can experience these vibrations in the shift lever as irritating and distracting.
It is known previously to provide a gear shift mechanism with a damping element in the form of a rubber element arranged between the joint arrangement of the gear shift mechanism and a mounting. Such damping elements are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,633 and EP-A-2 137 253, for example. It is also known previously to provide a joint arrangement with a rubber element arranged between a bearing housing for a ball joint and a mounting element arranged about the bearing housing. Such a known joint arrangement is described in more detail in connection with FIG. 1 below. These known damping elements damp the vibrations in the gear shift lever to a certain degree, which is dependent on the hardness of the rubber. To obtain good damping of low amplitude, high frequency vibrations, the rubber element 5 must be made with a very soft rubber mixture, which results in indistinct positions of the shift lever and that certain gear speed positions can be difficult to reach.
Certain types of trucks are provided with a tippable cab. Usually, the engine is placed under the cab, covered by a hood situated between the seats. For tipping, the gear shift lever must be released from the joint arrangement, which remains on the gear lever carrier. The gear shift lever moves with the cab as it is tipped forward. The joint arrangement is provided with a coupling element, which makes it possible to release the gear shift lever from the joint arrangement. Such a joint arrangement adapted to tippable cabs must be made with relatively small dimensions due to space considerations. The damping element in the joint arrangement must also be made with relatively small dimensions.